


The Precipice

by Pantherlily



Series: Morgan/Reid Series [1]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Gen, Male Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-29
Updated: 2013-04-01
Packaged: 2017-12-06 21:29:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/740357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pantherlily/pseuds/Pantherlily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bad decisions and bad luck put Morgan and Reid in a bad situation. Mostly Morgan/Reid centric. No pairing, just friendship. Time line wise, takes place between season 5 and 6. Possible spoilers for seasons 1-5.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Some chapters overlap because of the way this story was written. Character POV changes each chapter, which is why there is some overlap but I think it works for the story.

**Denali National Park - Alaska**

_"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." - Psalms 23:4_

Derek Morgan was in a precarious situation, but he wasn't going to let go of Spencer Reid's hand. A gun was to his head, but he held on defiantly anyway. "I won't let go," he said, his breath visible in the frigid air.

"Morgan, let me go. He is going to kill you." Reid tried to reason with his colleague, despite his own predicament.

"If I let go Kid, you fall and die. I am _not_ going to let that happen," Morgan replied with conviction.

A familiar voice yelled authoritatively, "FBI! Put the gun down now!" The voice belonged to Aaron Hotchner

The man just laughed.

Another voice yelled out, this time David Rossi's. "There's no place for you to go Alan, just put the gun down."

Another crazy laugh escaped the unsbu, Alan Milford. "You think you can get a shot off, before I kill him?" He sneered.

Derek growled. "Hotch just shoot the bastard." He held onto Reid's hand, but it was getting slick from the combination of sweat and blood trickling down his hand. He could feel the grip loosening as the seconds ticked by.

There was silence as Hotch weighed the options. "Okay, let's talk about this."

"Talk? What the fuck is there to talk about? If I go down, then these assholes are coming with me!" Alan screamed, it was clear all sanity had left him. He began to pull the trigger.

"Wait!" Morgan cried in desperation. He had one chance and he decided to go for it. This man thrived on control and power. He was going to use that to his advantage. "You want me to let go, right?"

Alan hesitated and then a nasty smile crossed his lips. Murderous glee filled his hazel eyes. "YES! Do _it_!"

Morgan glanced down below to Reid worriedly. _God this better work_ , he thought to himself. If it didn't, he would never forgive himself. Assuming, he lived to regret it. Since both hands held onto Reid, he allowed one hand to let go.

"YES! Do it!" Alan squealed again, his eyes transfixed on the helpless genuis.

Derek used his free hand to shove the man with the gun off balance. After that, everything else seemed to happen in slow motion.

The unsub's gun went off. Pain ripped through Morgan's body. Had he been shot? If so, shouldn't his bullet proof vest caught it? He was vaguely aware of more gun shots ringing out. A loud rumble and the earth began to shake beneath him. What was happening now? The snowy ground below him began to give way. _Oh no…an avalanche_ , he thought. Morgan and Reid both started falling, but Derek still held onto Spencer's hand. He wasn't going to let go, he refused. As he fell, he thought he heard someone shouting. It was hard to tell over the constant rumbling in his ears. His eyes fluttered closed as the events that had led up to this point began running through his mind.

* * *

**Earlier That Day...**

The team had tracked down the unsub, but he had retreated into the mountains of Denali National Park. It was the middle of winter and daylight didn't stick around very long this far north. Also, a snow storm was supposed to be moving in soon. They decided to give chase into the unknown terrain, because they thought it was the only chance to catch him before the blizzard hit. Otherwise he could get away and start his killing spree all over again. Of course they brought in the local PD and even park rangers to make sure no one would get lost.

The BAU had split into three groups: Morgan & Reid, Hotch & JJ and Rossi & Prentiss. Each group was assigned a park ranger who knew the area well. They had a lot of ground to cover, but based off the unsubs dump site pattern they had a rough idea of the way he was fleeing. The area they would be searching was near Wonder Lake, where it was flatter and more wooded. However, it was still mountainous. Hotch had determined they didn't have time to wait on dogs, to help in the hunt. Weather was unpredictable and he didn't want any of his agents caught in a snow storm and they were losing day light. So, he opted for a triangular sweep that would cover the desired area in the most efficient fashion. They had to at least look for him, Hotch had reasoned. His team agreed and they set out once everyone was properly clothed for the weather conditions.

Morgan, Reid and the park ranger, Steve, moved in relative silence except for the sound of snow crunching beneath their feet. They all had their guns out. The narrow path forced them to walk single file. So the ranger took point, Reid was in the middle and Morgan covered the back.

They trudged upward for what seemed like forever and soon darkness approached and the ranger stopped. "If we wanna get back to the cars before night fall, we are going to have to turn around and go back." A muffled whistle whizzed through the air. The park ranger went down. Morgan watched as Reid grabbed the injured man and dragged him to cover behind a pine. He took cover himself when the other two were shielded. He waited awhile but no more shots rained down on them.

Morgan moved over to where Reid and the fallen ranger were. The gun shot had been to the knee, the guy would live. "Reid, you stay here with him. Use the flare to signal the others, I'm going after the unsub."

Reid shook his head. "What? No way. We are not splitting up. This guy is a calculated hunter. It is probably what he wants us to do. This is his territory. We should wait for the rest of the team."

"Kid, we don't have time to wait." He motioned to the darkening sky. Before Reid could argue, Morgan made a cautious approach of where he thought the gun shot had come from. He went a ways, and found a discarded suppressed sniper rifle. Shots from behind caused him to turn quickly. But the shots had been further away, not directed at him. Shit, Reid had been right. He should have listened, but he had let his impulsiveness get in the way. No time to think! He doubled back, at a quick jog, fighting the panic rising inside of him. The snow made it difficult to traverse the terrain but he managed not to slip on the way back. The forest ranger was still down where Reid had dragged him. But where was Reid and the unsub? He took a moment to catch his breath, and looked around.

"He went after him," Steve breathed out, indicating the deep impressions in the snow where Reid had most likely taken off running.

 _Couldn't you have followed your own advice Reid?_ He thought bitterly. Morgan followed the trail, cautiously this time. Running head long into an unknown situation wouldn't do anyone any good. Besides no more gun fire broke out and there wasn't any blood so that was a good sign, he supposed. Eventually he came to a break in the wooded area and found Reid and the unsub fighting. It occurred to Morgan he had never seen Reid fight another person, and had the situation not been dire it probably would have struck him as a funny sight to see. He lined up his gun, but it was impossible to get a clean shot off. It looked like Reid was losing the fight. In fact, Reid was slowly being backed off a cliff with every scuffle. Reid's wiry form wasn't any match against the muscular opponent.

Morgan holstered his gun and sprung into action, running full throttle. It didn't take long to close the distance. He grabbed the unsub by the shoulder none too gently, and spun him around harshly. With his other hand clenched in a fist he punched the guy in the jaw. The man went down in the snow. "Stay down. You are under arrest you son of a bitch."

"Knife!" Reid hissed, pouncing the unsub with startling speed.

Morgan jumped back in surprised, the swipe missing him.

The man lurched backward, throwing Reid off balance. He skidded off the cliff.

Morgan's stomach clenched and rage filled him as he watched Reid disappear. In blind rage he took another swing at the man, not caring about the knife the other man wielded. This time the unsub was ready, and dodged out of the way. Movement behind the unsub caught his attention. Reid? This cost him, because the unsub struck with the knife again. He had time to bring up his hand to protect his face. He gritted his teeth as the knife cut past his skin tight black leather gloves and deep into his flesh from right to left. Blood spilled through the tear and fell onto the already disturbed snow. The unsub kneed him in the stomach, dropping Morgan to his hands and knees. The unsub moved in for the kill, the knife raised high above his head. Morgan elbowed the guy square in the nuts. He smirked in satisfaction when he heard a strangled cry and the unsub dropped to the snow.

Morgan got up slowly, ignoring the pain as best could. He kicked the knife away from the fallen man and was about to slap the cuffs on him when he heard a fracas by the cliff. He looked, and saw a hand gripped on the ledge while the other sought feverishly to find another place to hold onto. "Reid! I'm coming!" He hurried over, tossing his gloves off for a better grip. When he got to the precipice, he leaned down to help his friend up but Reid lost his grip on the ledge. With both hands, he grabbed onto the wrist of the hand that was already outstretched jerking the younger man's body to an abrupt halt. He grimaced at the cry Reid tried to hold back. He struggled against gravity and Reid's dead weight that dangled helplessly in the air. Morgan's body was tired and the adrenaline rush was beginning to run out. _Please God...let me help him,_ he prayed fervently. The sound of footsteps coming toward him made him work harder. He couldn't risk letting go of Reid. The sound of a gun clicking made his heart sink, and a sense of dread came over him as cold steel was pressed against his temple. This was all his fault, if he had just listened to Reid none of this would have happened.

"Let him go and I'll let you live," The unsub directed.

"I won't let go." It wasn't just a statement. It was a promise.


	2. Chapter 2

_"We're on this roller coaster ride. Hold on, I'll stay here by your side. We head up to the sky then we slide back down."- Sugar Ray, lyrics from their song Answer The Phone  
_

Spencer Reid came back to consciousness slowly. His whole body ached and he was freezing. It was dark out but there was a half moon shining that gave off some light, so he could see himself and a little of his immediate surrounding area. He groaned in pain as he forced himself to a sitting position. A wave of nausea hit him. He decided a sitting position would suffice for now. Next he checked his body for injuries. He moved his arm, hand and fingers experimentally. They appeared to only have bruises and superficial wounds. The only thing was his right shoulder was killing him, dislocated most likely. His head hurt too, well that was an understatement, it was pounding. He brought his left hand to his head gingerly and winced as it came in contact with a cut. _Concussion_ , he thought to himself. He then tried to move his legs but his right leg wouldn't obey. He inspected it visually, and even in the darkness it was clear why it wasn't working. It was bent at an angle that wasn't natural. _Great. My whole right side is useless. Not to mention, I just got off crutches and now I'll be back on them_ , he thought grimly. While he wasn't a big believer in miracles he had to admit that it was a miracle he was alive, given the fall. The fall! The memory of everything that had happened came flooding back to him.

* * *

The park ranger going down had startled Reid, but he regrouped quickly and dragged the man to safety. He looked back to see if Morgan was safe. He saw him duck behind a tree. Good. Okay, now where had that shot come from and why wasn't there any more gun fire? Something didn't make sense. His thoughts were interrupted as Morgan came up to him.

"Reid, you stay here with him. Use the flare to signal the others, I'm going after him."

Reid shook his head. "What? No way. We are not splitting up. This guy is a calculated hunter. It's probably what he wants us to do. This is his territory. We should wait for the rest of the team." The memory of what happened the last time he split up with a team member made him shudder involuntarily.

"Kid, we don't have time to wait." Morgan motioned to the darkening sky.

Reid was about to protest but Morgan had already taken off. _Damn it, Derek. What are you thinking?_   He sighed; there was no reasoning with Morgan sometimes. _He was just as stubborn as Hotch_ , he thought. He became conflicted, he couldn't let Derek go off by himself but he couldn't leave a fallen man to fend for himself either. The groaning of the ranger broke his train of thought. He would fire the flare after he took care of Steve. "You will be fine. I got shot in the leg awhile back. You'll be on crutches for awhile but I am sure you'll be back on your feet in no time." He offered a shy, reassuring smile and placed his gun on the ground so he could take his coat off and then wrapped it around the gunshot wound to help stop the bleeding. Reid shivered from the cold, but wasn't worried about it because he didn't think he would be outside much longer. He heard movement and he instinctively picked the gun back up. "Morgan?" He asked as he looked around but saw no one.

When no reply came, he crouched low and continued a watchful scan. Reid didn't like just sitting here. If the unsub had doubled back, they were sitting ducks. Since he wasn't willing to let go of his gun again, he asked Steve to fire the flare gun. The red streak flew into the sky. It would be at least fifteen to twenty minutes before one of the other teams would be here, Reid figured. He found the silence unsettling. He was getting nervous. Why wasn't Morgan back yet? Sitting and waiting in the freezing cold while possibly being hunted was far from an ideal situation. However, there wasn't much he could do about it.

Noise to his left caused Reid to turn his head. There was the unsub, staring back at him. "Freeze! FBI!" He aimed his gun and fired three times but the unsub was on the move and his bullets missed. He wasn't good at hitting a stationary target, so he wasn't surprised when he missed a moving one. The unsub was so close, he couldn't possibly let him get away. But what if the unsub was baiting him into a trap? He didn't have time to argue with himself so against his better judgment, he gave chase.

The unsub had a head start, but he was able to follow the footprints easily enough. Reid slowed down as a clearing came into view. He approached it slowly. While tactical analysis wasn't his forte, he knew that by walking into the clearing he was leaving himself open to a possible frontal assault. He stopped at the edge of the trees, using one as cover as he surveyed the area in front of him. The unsub was just standing there with a gun in hand and waiting. _Waiting for what? Me?_

Reid ran the profile through his head. None of this was making sense to him. He made his presence known by yelling. "FBI! Put your gun down and your hands on your head!" To his surprise the unsub complied. According to the profile, this guy would have wanted to go out in a blaze of glory. What had they missed? He moved out from the cover of the trees. "Kick the gun towards me." Again, the unsub did as told. "Now, get down on the ground." When the unsub did as bidden, he moved in closer. As he passed the gun that was on the ground, he kicked it further away. Okay, arresting this guy and keeping the gun on him would be difficult but it should be doable. After all the unsub had complied thus far, so he shouldn't expect resistance…right? A warning flag went off in his head, but he moved in for the arrest anyway. He kept one hand on his gun and reached for his hand cuffs with the other one. When he knelt down to put the cuffs on, the unsub elbowed him in the stomach.

With the wind knocked out of him, it stunned him temporarily. The unsub used that to his advantage and wrestled the gun from Reid's hand. It went sprawling to the ground, out of either man's reach. He finally recovered, and blocked another blow to his stomach with forearms. He hadn't been in a fist fight since high school. Grant it, in high school he had never fought back. However, curling up in a ball was not an option in this situation. This fight was a matter of life and death.

The unsub backed off, and Reid watched him warily. The unsub smiled, and reached into his pocket and flicked out a knife. He quickly calculated the distance from him to the gun and then the distance between him and the unsub. Even if he jumped for it, he wouldn't make it in time. _Great, boy genius versus crazy man with a knife_. The odds weren't in his favor. But that didn't mean he wasn't going fight back. He recalled the time he told Garcia he was blinker, and decided that maybe he had under estimated himself.

Finally the unsub made his move, since Reid had just been standing there waiting. It would have been reckless for him to make the first strike unarmed. Besides, he was busy analyzing the crime scene photos and the most statistical probability of what kind of attack the unsub would probably use in his head. He concluded that it would most likely be a simple stabbing attack to his stomach or possibly chest. Once again, statistics had come through for him. He was prepared for the stabbing hand and caught the man's wrist due to anticipating the attack. The unsub was stronger than he was though, and he was spun around. His back was now to the cliff side. _My day just keeps getting better and bette_ r, he thought wryly. Despite the other man's strength he managed to get the knife out of the unsub's hand. Finally, something happened in his favor. Movement from behind the unsub caught Reid's attention. Morgan! It was about damn time. He kept his attention on the unsub, doing his best to hold his own in the fight. He didn't want to let the unsub know anyone was coming in from behind so he kept him busy. He breathed a sigh of relief when Morgan came to the rescue and punched the guy in the face.

"Stay down. You are under arrest you son of a bitch."

Morgan didn't know the unsub had landed right by the knife Reid had worked so hard to keep out of his opponent's hands. "Knife!" Even as he spoke, he was already on the move and was on top of the unsub as he swung the knife. Luckily, Morgan had heeded his warning and evaded the attack. Unluckily for him, the unsub shoved him forcefully. He stumbled back violently, unable to keep his balance on the slippery snow. Soon his feet failed to be below solid ground.

Then he was falling. Thinking quickly, he reached for something to grab onto. Reid's eyes squeezed tight in pain as his wrist got a gash from suddenly stopping as he took hold of a protruding rock. His free fall stopped and he hung there breathlessly for a moment. He gripped the rock with his other hand for stability. He tried scrambling up the cliff, but his feet only found loose gravel and he kicked fruitlessly. There was another rock above him. Maybe he could pull himself up. He had failed doing pull-ups in P.E. and he didn't have much faith in himself now. But he had to try, right? Eminent death was a great motivator. He grabbed the next rock and used his upper body strength to pull himself up. _That's it_ , he told himself. The top was just an arm's length away and he reached for it. Reid had a hold of it for a second but the snow made his grip slip. He tried two more times after that and on the fourth try he got it! Now to get his other hand up there, but it couldn't seem to find a tight hold.

Morgan's scream reached his ears. "Reid! I'm coming!" It wasn't long before the familiar face popped over the ledge.

Relief would have fallen over him, but instead the grip Reid work so hard to get gave way. His right shoulder jolted out of its socket as he came to an unceremonious halt. He did his best not to scream, the jolt leaving him breathless. He knew Morgan was trying to help him up, but it would be nice if it didn't hurt so much. A shadow overcast Morgan and judging by the look on his colleague's face it was the unsub.

"Let him go and I'll let you live." The unsub directed.

"I won't let go." Morgan, stubborn as ever.

This was all his fault. Morgan shouldn't have to pay for his mistakes. "Morgan, let me go. He's going to kill you."

Then the events began to unravel quickly. The team had found them. Even so, death seemed likely for both of them at this point. When Morgan glanced down at him, after telling the unsub he would let him go, Reid knew he was up to something. From his position, it was hard to tell what Morgan did after one hand let go. A gun went off. The jolt from Morgan, jostled Reid but he still hung in the air. More shots rang out, and the body of the unsub fell off the cliff from the force of what Reid could only guess were bullets hitting the unsub's center mass. He watched the body fall, and just when he thought they were out of the woods the world around him became very loud. Snow showered Reid, as the ground below Morgan gave way. They both fell, and he glanced up to Morgan who was still clutching onto him tightly. He looked unconscious. Further up he could make out a face staring down at them. Hotch? It was hard to tell, because the face rapidly became smaller as they plummeted to the ground. On the up side, they were above the avalanche. So, if they managed to survive the fall they wouldn't be buried alive. Reid's head slammed into a tree, taking a nasty blow. As fate or maybe luck would have it, though he wasn't sure he believed in either, the mountain began to slope gently and they began tumbling rather than free falling. Maybe, just maybe they both had a chance of surviving this. That was his last thought, before he passed out.

* * *

Reid came back to the present as the memories faded from his mind. Morgan! He had to find him. Surely he was nearby? He tried speaking but all he heard was a croaking noise. His throat was dry. With his good hand he took a handful of snow and sucked on it slowly. He tried speaking again, this time successfully. "Derek? Can you hear me?" No response came.

Taking a deep breath, Reid tried to remain calm. Panic would only make the situation worse not better. Morgan had been shot, of that he was fairly certain. But where was he? He couldn't be that far, could he? With his good hand, he groped the darkness hoping his colleague was within arm's length. His hand came in contact with something. Hope gave him the strength to drag his sore body to see what he had found. He had to move in closely but he was still able to make out who it was. Hope vanished upon seeing the face of the unsub. Four bullets riddled his chest. Reid didn't bother looking for a pulse. Having given up his jacket to help the park ranger, he decided to take the jacket off the dead man. It wasn't like he needed it. This took time and effort with only one hand and the stiff body of the unsub. The jacket was bloodied but right now keeping warm was more important than worrying about possible biohazards. The jacket wouldn't fit right with his right arm flopping around like a fish out of water though. Putting it back in place would be a bitch and it probably wouldn't be set right but he didn't have a lot of options right now.

Fighting the pain and nausea he dragged his battered body to an outlining tree that was nearby. It took five pain staking tries of ramming his shoulder into the trunk of the tree before it snapped back into place. Reid breathed heavily, sweat perspiring on his head despite the biting cold. He knew it was because his body was going into shock, but he refused to close his eyes and sleep even though that was what his body was begging for. If he had a concussion, then sleep was out of the question for the next twenty-four hours anyway. Besides he still had to find Morgan.

With that goal in mind, Reid willed himself to stay awake. Resetting his shoulder had taken a lot of out of him and now he leaned against the tree for support for what seemed like forever. While sitting in silence, he remembered that Morgan had been clinging to his right arm. It was most likely he had fallen to the right of him and not the left, which was where he had checked. Why hadn't this occurred to him sooner?

Reid made his way back to where he had woken up and inspected the other side, and sure enough he found Morgan. Relief flooded his body as he checked for a pulse and found one. It was thready and weak, but at least he was alive. He sat down and inspected his friend for wounds. Morgan appeared to be okay, minus the wound to the head. His right hand was bloodied but at least it was dried. Taking a chance and extreme care, he pulled Morgan's limp body into his lap. Morgan's head rested against Reid's chest. He bent his head down to whisper in his ear, "I won't let go." Body heat was important, crucial rather at this point, and he hugged his friend close to him. He rocked them both gently, to help keep his blood circulating and to help keep him awake. He knew Hotch and the team would be mounting a rescue mission but help wouldn't be able to come until after the blizzard had passed. Speaking of, shouldn't it be snowing by now? The lack of snow falling had escaped his usually very observant gaze. Even so, he wasn't sure they would last the night. Hypothermia was the biggest threat to them at this point. He couldn't help but run the statistics of surviving in these conditions in his head. The outlook was bleak. He whispered to the darkness once more, this time more fiercely. "I won't let go." It became his mantra, and he rocked them both in time to the phrase.


	3. Chapter 3

_"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope." – Martin Luther King Jr._

A flare streaking the sky caught Aaron Hotchner's attention. It was coming from the direction of where Reid and Morgan had been assigned. He spoke to Larry, their park ranger. "It is almost dark. How long will it take to get to them?"

Larry thought a moment. "It usually takes twenty or so minutes, but I know of a path that cuts off from this one and loops around to the trail they are on. It should get us there closer to ten to fifteen minutes."

Hotch nodded and was about to reply when he heard the very faint sound of gunshots. "Did anyone else hear that?" He was hoping he was just hearing things.

"I heard it too," JJ confirmed.

"Get us there as quickly as you can," Hotch directed to the park ranger.

The man nodded in understanding, taking off at a jog.

Hotch brought up the rear of their small party. He was almost out of breath from running when they reached Steve. There's the park ranger, where were his team members? He surveyed the scene quickly and it didn't take a tracker to figure out that three separate tracks had taken off in the same direction. _Why hadn't they waited?_   He wondered furiously.

"Where's Morgan and Reid?" Rossi asked as his group joined the scene.

"I'm not sure. Reid is without his coat though." Hotch nodded to the one wrapped around the park ranger. He directed the other two park rangers to stay with the fallen man. His team followed the trail in the snow.

The scene in front of him was terrifying. However fear had no place in this situation and he maintained his composure. Hotch yelled, "FBI! Put the gun down now!"

Nothing was more unnerving then the laughing of a deranged killer.

Rossi tried this time. "There's no place for you to go Alan, just put the gun down."

More laughter as the unsub taunted the team.

Hotch knew the man was right. Even if one them managed to get a shot off, Morgan would be dead before the bullet hit the unsub. He could only guess that Derek was holding onto Reid, which would also mean the death of the young doctor. His options were slim to none. A guy like this wouldn't listen to reason but he had to try. "Okay, let's talk about this."

"Talk? What the fuck is there to talk about? If I go down, then these assholes are coming with me!"

Hotch was about to fire his gun as the unsub began to pull the trigger but then he heard the desperation in Morgan's pleading voice. What was the younger Agent up to? Whatever it was had worked because soon the unsub was knocked off balance. However, the unsub's gun went off and Hotch wasted no time firing his own gun. He heard three other guns go off and he watched the unsub tumble over the ledge. He put his gun away and when the earth began to shake, he didn't quite understand what was going on. But as he saw Morgan and Reid falling, it dawned on him. He broke out in a run and heard JJ scream, "No!" He managed to control the fear he felt, but his heart was racing. A rare moment loss of control showed through as someone stopped him before he went over himself, in a frantic attempt to help his subordinates. He watched them fall, certain Reid was staring right up at him. He closed his eyes. "We need to get a rescue team together right away."

Rossi let go of Hotch's coat. "There's a blizzard coming, it would make hiking down there impossible and choppers will be grounded until the snow let's up."

"We have to find them! What if they are still alive? They will freeze death!" JJ said, siding with Hotch.

"Alive? JJ a fall like that…" Prentiss trailed off.

"Well we can't just give up on them. They wouldn't give up on us!" JJ was determined to hope for the best.

Hotch listened to his remaining team argue and finally he had enough. He opened his eyes and turned to face them. "JJ…Rossi and Prentiss are right." He hated himself for saying it but it was the truth. "There is an injured man back there that needs to go to a hospital. Night is upon us, there is nothing we can do right now." He began to move past them. The blizzard would be here soon and they needed get back to the safety of shelter. He hated just leaving like that but he had the rest of the team, which he knew was still living, to worry about now.

"Hotch…" JJ trailed off, crestfallen.

He stopped and put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find them tomorrow. We won't do Morgan and Reid any good, if we ourselves get stuck out here in a blizzard."

JJ nodded in defeat.

The four of them left the area in silence.

* * *

When Steve had been given proper medical treatment, Hotch asked him what had happened. He needed to understand why his men hadn't waited. If only to try and ease the guilt eating at him. If he hadn't insisted that they look for the unsub, none of this would have happened. He was sitting on the couch at the cabin his team had used for headquarters. There was a fire lit and his brown brooding eyes stared into it as he pieced back what was told to him and what he had seen at the cliff. There were still more questions than answers. He went over the facts in his head…

_The three had stopped and were about to turn around to go back when the unsub shot the park ranger in the knee. Morgan separated from Reid and Steve probably due to his brash nature, adrenaline, and sheer stubbornness. The unsub had lured Morgan away and circled back to the other two. But why? Then he managed to bait Reid away, after the young doctor got some shots off. Reid taking off made even less sense than Morgan taking off. Especially after what had happened with Tobias Hinkle. Then anything that happened after that was sheer guess work but based off the disruption of the sno and the time line he concluded that Reid got into a fight of some sort with the unsub. Morgan had gone after Reid, which was the only thing that made sense in this whole damned scenario. Somehow Reid ended up over the ledge, Morgan was holding onto Reid and the unsub had a gun to Morgan's head?_

Movement next to him broke his train of thought but his gaze remained on the fire.

"You know, we all agreed to go in after the unsub. So, if you are thinking about beating yourself up over the decision then forget it." Rossi stood next to the couch with a cup of coffee in his hand.

Hotch didn't confirm nor deny the statement and for a moment just remained silent. He finally looked over to the older man. "How are JJ and Prentiss?"

"JJ is still pretty upset. Emily is with her and trying to calm her down."

He nodded and a thought occurred to him. "Did anyone tell Garcia what was going on?"

"I called her with one of the satellite phones she gave us. She is worried of course and told us to call her if we needed anything or if we had news." Rossi took a thoughtful sip of coffee and then said, "You know…we need to prepare ourselves for what me might find when we go looking for Morgan and Reid."

Hotch merely nodded. He was fully aware at what they may find but a part of him was self loathing for it. It was like he was giving up on them before he even tried to find them.

JJ and Emily entered the room. "Guys, its Garcia. I think you should listen to what she has to say. Go Garcia, you're on speaker," JJ said and Emily simply nodded in agreement.

"Well, I couldn't just sit around doing nothing while our boys were in danger. So, I hacked into the weather station's satellite so I could see when and where the blizzard would hit. According to the reports, an unexpected shift in the winds is going to cause the snow storm to miss your location. So, that means you can go look for them…right?" Garcia asked hopefully.

"She's right guys. It hasn't snowed at all since we got back," JJ said anxiously.

"Hotch, I checked outside. There's hardly any cloud cover. You can see the stars and moon pretty clearly. I don't think it's going to snow, let alone a blizzard," Prentiss supplied.

Hotch was quiet, as his team looked to him expectantly. Sometimes being the team leader wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It meant making the hard decisions. It was possible the blizzard could still hit and get them all killed. He just hoped that this time he would make the right one. "Okay, let's do it."

Garcia whooped in excitement. "You guys better call me as soon as you find them!" She then terminated the call.

Hotch turned his attention to JJ. "The likelihood of finding them alive is very small. You need to be ready for that."

"I am, but that doesn't mean I should give up hope."

Hotch wished he had her optimism. Hope was a dangerous thing to have in this job. He kept that to himself as he walked away to go get ready to mount a search party. Had this job jaded him completely? He could think on that later, right now he needed to get his guys back. Even if they hadn't survived the fall, they would deserve a proper burial. The thought was almost paralyzing but he kept his composure. He was Aaron Hotchner damn it and he prided himself on keeping his shit together. Not only for himself, but his team. He had to be strong for them; it was part of being a leader.


	4. Chapter 4

_"Will the ending be ever coming suddenly? Will I ever get to see the ending to my story? Show me what it's for, make me understand it. I've been crawling in the dark looking for the answer. Is there something more than what I've been handed?"- Hoobastank, lyrics from their song Crawling In The Dark._

Morgan had the feeling of falling, but he wasn't moving. Darkness was all around him, yet he could see perfectly. Strangely he didn't feel any pain. Was this what it was like to be dead? If he was dead, did that mean Reid had died as well? He'd failed the Kid. Regret and anger swelled inside of him. He should have done more to help.

Man being dead was boring. Nothing was happening. Just him floating in dead space, left to brood in his own thoughts. Wasn't there supposed to be a blinding light and pearly white gates when you died? Or maybe he was stuck in his own personal hell? For having failed to save Reid? Was he doomed to relive that event in his head for the rest of eternity? Morgan spent a majority of the time just glaring at the darkness. Suffice to say, he was pretty pissed off. _Death is supposed to be peacefu_ l, he thought angrily.

After awhile, Morgan swore he heard something. He stopped his brooding glare at nothingness and concentrated on the noise. Fragments reached him only at first and then he heard it clearly, "I won't let go." His last words seemed to be mocking him. Worse yet, the words were in Reid's voice. _So this is what Hell is like_ , Morgan thought to himself. The phrase kept repeating over and over, each time a little clearer and stronger than the last time.

Finally he couldn't take anymore and he screamed. It was like he couldn't breathe and his eyes opened suddenly. Confusion washed over Morgan. As he regained his senses, pain became prevalent. Did that mean he wasn't dead? Had he only been dreaming? His vision finally focused and he saw Reid looking down at him. He could see his lips were moving, but he had missed what the younger man said. "Whaaaa…?" He managed to slur out. He tried to move and then realized that not only was Reid staring at him but also holding onto him, which prevented much movement on his part.

"I said, calm down and try not to move," Reid said gently. He didn't say it, but Morgan screaming as he came awake had frightened him. He needed to keep a clear head, for both their sakes.

Morgan nodded once. "Head hurts," he murmured, his mind felt fuzzy as well.

"I think when the unsub's gun went off, the bullet grazed your temple and gave you a concussion. The trajectory of the bullet most likely wound up lodging itself in the strap of your vest. As far as I can tell, it is the only serious injury you sustained. Your hand was bleeding but I'm not sure when it stopped. Long enough to dry. "

"Thank God for Kevlar." Morgan gave a faint smile.

"Actually, if you are going to thank anyone for Kevlar it'd be Stephanie Kwolek. She made it while working for the DuPont Company and patented it in 1966. Did you know that it's five time stronger than steel?" Even in a less than desirable situation, Reid spouted off the wealth of knowledge stored in his brain. Cold hard facts gave him a sense of comfort. He had relied on them all his life and he wasn't going to let impeding death take that away from him.

Morgan smiled. Good old Reid and his random facts. He never thought he would have missed that. "As much as I love you holding me like this, I am going to try and get up."

The humor was lost on Reid. "What? I was trying to keep both our bodies warm. It's only logical, given the situation."

"Hey Kid, I was joking but in all seriousness man…I need my space." Morgan freed himself from Reid's grasp but remained seated next to him.

"Derek, can I ask you something?" Reid asked his tone serious.

"Sure Kid."

"Why didn't you let me fall?"

"Had the roles been reversed, would you've let go?"

"Well, no. But the likelihood of me being able to hold your weight for any significant amount of time is-"

Morgan interrupted. "Reid, the point is you would have done the same thing for me."

"I guess," the younger man replied quietly.

Morgan frowned. "What's really bothering you?"

"I'm sorry." The words were almost a whisper and Reid averted his gaze in shame.

"You lost me. What are you sorry for?"

"For getting you into this mess." Reid gestured around them with his good arm.

Morgan understood the guilt Reid was feeling, because he was feeling it too. However, blaming each other or themselves wouldn't do any either of them any good right now. "Listen, we both made some bad calls back there but the important thing is we are both alive. It's no one's fault, things just happen sometimes." He wanted to believe his own words. For the first time waking, he got a good look at Reid. "Jesus Reid. You look like hell."

Reid considered what Morgan said, but it didn't really make him feel better. At Morgan's last comment he replied, "I'm fine." The words lacked conviction and even sounded to lame to himself. In fact, he was pretty sure he was the opposite of fine but he didn't want Morgan worrying about him.

Morgan snorted in response. Even in the pale moon light, he didn't like what he saw. Reid was shivering and sweating at the same time. He was paler than usual. He noticed his right arm was barely moving, if at all. And his leg was broken in an ugly fashion.

Reid was tired and it was harder to stay awake with every second that passed. Knowing Morgan was fine now, he just wanted to sleep. Maybe he could just rest his eyes for a little bit. He let them drift close.

"Spencer! Open your eyes! C'mon, stay with me Kid." Morgan would have shaken him, but he didn't think Reid's frail looking body could take any more abuse.

Reid groaned and opened his eyes. "So tired…"

"I know you are but you need to stay awake, you understand me?"

A part of Reid knew he was becoming delirious from the cold and the injuries he had sustained but his usually reliable mind didn't want anything to do with him right now. He also knew the words that Morgan spoke were the truth, but he was so tired. Sleep would offer him an escape from all of this. He looked up to Morgan and said, "Sing to me."

"Excuse me?" Morgan said, confusion on his face and clearly evident in his voice.

"In an episode of X-Files, Scully sings to Mulder to help keep him awake. It happens in the episode Detour during season-" Reid trailed off, his eyes fluttering close once more.

"Damn it Reid." Morgan cursed, more out of frustration than anger.

This time Reid didn't wake up.

"Shit." Morgan swore some more, most of the curses under his breath. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He needed to keep his wits about him. Reid had taken care of him while he was unconscious, so now it was his turn to return the favor.

"Okay Derek, think man…think…" Morgan didn't usually talk to himself but right now his mind was racing so furiously that he hadn't meant to express his thoughts verbally. He wasn't a Boy Scout or a survival expert but he knew he had to get Reid the hell out of this cold. They were in the mountains; maybe there was a cave around here somewhere? It was dark and though the moon and stars offered some light, seeing any real distance was impossible. Should he risk leaving Reid to find some kind of shelter? He suddenly wished he was in a movie or TV show or one of those fanfics Garcia insisted he should read and he would magically have the skills and tools to make something to drag Reid on as he sought for shelter or make a shopping mall out of a toothpick and a Q-tip.

Tools! Morgan decided to take inventory of what he had. He need to optimize whatever he had on him. His gun was still holstered, useful if they were attacked by a wild animal he supposed. His fingers were numb and most likely frost bitten. _Right, took my gloves off when I bent down to help Reid._ He shoved his cold hands into his coat pockets. Partly to check to see if anything was there but mostly to keep his hands warm. His hands came upon a flashlight. He had forgotten he had brought one just in case they didn't get back to the vehicles before dark. Hopefully it wasn't broken. He pulled it out and tried to flick it on. Nothing happened. He banged it against his leg and it flickered to life.

Morgan moved the beam over to Reid's still form, at least the Kid was breathing. His breathing looked shallow and labored but at least he knew he was okay. For now anyway. How long until his body shut down on him completely? Leaving seemed like the only option, the only hope for Reid. He hated the thought. With the flash light's beam he inspected Reid's body more closely. The coat he wore was bloodied but that wasn't the kind of coat Spencer would wear. Wasn't that the coat the unsub had been wearing?

The beam of light moved from Reid to look around the area. He followed the drag marks Reid had made over to the body of the unsub. "Serves you right," Morgan muttered. Maybe this piece of shit would have something useful. He knelt down next to the body and checked the pockets and his person. Nothing. _Figures_ , he thought sourly. He took a page out of Reid's book and took the gloves though, they were smaller than what he usually wore and it was a tight fit but it was better than nothing.

He walked back over to Reid. He was still out. Morgan rubbed his head in thought. He couldn't just leave his friend. He turned the flash light off and put it away. Better to save the batteries, just in case. "If I'm going to look for shelter, then you are coming with me." He bent down and with the utmost care he picked up Reid's body. "I won't leave you here to die…" He then began trudging into the night. He had no idea where he was going but the cliff side was to the north, so if there was any chance of find a cave of some sort it would be that way. So, with Reid clutched in his arms, he set out into frozen wilderness and followed the mountain side. Hoping, praying, wishing to find a cave along the way.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Morgan, fifteen minutes after he had picked up Reid and started walking, helicopter spot lights appeared where they had landed from the fall. The team had just missed them...


	5. Chapter 5

_"If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?" - Ecclesiastes 4:10-11_

Morgan wasn't sure how much time had passed or how far he had gone, but he was beginning to get tired. The wind had picked up, making the cold all the more unbearable. And while Reid wasn't particularly heavy, his lanky form made him an awkward load to carry. Spencer had barely stirred as he made his careful trek. The sweat on Reid's face got worse, most likely due to infection and/or a fever.

He kept moving, despite the exhaustion he felt. _If I don't find someplace to rest soon we will both die_. It was a harsh truth, but Morgan had no disillusions about the likely outcome in store for them. He was angry and frustrated with the situation and he used that to motivate him to keep his feet moving.

More time and possibly miles had passed and Morgan was certain he wouldn't be able to keep going, when he finally found a cave. He stumbled in, hoping that there wasn't a bear or some other carnivorous animal inside. For once something went right, it appeared to be empty. He went in far enough to make sure the wind couldn't reach them and he placed Reid down as carefully as possible. He slumped down next to him, his head resting on Reid's good shoulder.

Remembering that Reid had mentioned that shared body heat was important, he moved in a little closer. _If Reid was a cute girl, snuggling wouldn't feel so awkward_. Morgan thought to himself and he allowed a faint smile to etch the tip of his lips. He understood why the body heat was important and so he didn't look at it as snuggling as so much as survival. He hadn't intended to fall asleep, but almost immediately his eyes flitted close.

An indeterminable amount of time went by. Noise disrupted Morgan's sleep. When he became fully awake, he was aware that it was Reid coughing noisily. "Hey Reid, easy Kid…easy…"

Reid looked worse than before and his body shook with every hacking cough. His eyes slowly opened, a groan escaping his lips.

"Hey man, welcome back to the land of the living." Morgan kept his tone as light as he could, even though he was perturbed. His brows were creased and his lips were tight with worry.

Reid seemed oblivious to Morgan's presence. He had that far away look in his eye, which indicated his mind was in an entirely different place.

It was startling to see Reid so disconnected from reality. Morgan tried to talking to him again, "Hey Spencer…can you hear me?"

"Derek?" The voice was weak and barely audible. Reid's vision teetered between blurry and focused. It was hard to concentrate on anything and it gave him headache to try to look at any one thing too long, so he closed his eyes once more.

"Yeah, I'm here Kid." Morgan picked up Reid's good hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Damn it Reid, don't you fall asleep on me again."

"Not sleeping," Reid replied, his voice having a whiny tone to it.

"Damn right you aren't sleeping. Talk to me Kid. Tell me one of the bajillion things in that brilliant mind of yours." Morgan hoped that if he could get Reid talking, he would be able to keep him from slipping back into unconsciousness.

"Too tired," Reid complained.

"Bull shit. Where's the Reid I know? Huh? Where's that Kid who would have corrected me and told me bajillion isn't a real number and that it would be ridiculous to say so?" Morgan tried frantically to reach his friend. He squeezed Reid's hand again, hoping the physical contact would help bring him back to reality.

Reid murmured incomprehensibly but then his eyes opened. He was quiet a moment, the words spoken to him processing at slow rate. He finally replied quietly. "Mathematically speaking it isn't a number, but it is an accepted word in the urban dictionary." Apparently he had said more than his body liked because he began coughing violently again. Blood came up with the saliva this time and he turned away from Morgan and spit it out.

Morgan's eyebrows went up in genuine surprise when Reid had mentioned the urban dictionary. He would have commented but once again worry filled him at the cough and then the expulsion of blood. For fuck's sake, where was the cavalry when you needed them? "Just hold on, you hear me. Help will be here soon." He had to believe that Hotch and the team would be looking for them. Otherwise, everything that had happened up to this point that had kept them alive would have all been for nothing. While he tried to be realistic, thinking disparaging thoughts would be of no help to anyone.

"Thirsty." Reid uttered the single word, worried that saying anything more would induce another coughing fit.

"Best I can do for you is get you some snow to help slack the thirst. I'll be right back, okay?"

Reid gave a faint squeeze of Morgan's hand in understanding.

Morgan got up and went to the mouth of the cave. He was about to bend down and get a handful of snow when he heard the sound of something whooshing in the air. He glanced up in the sky, and to his surprise and delight he saw the search lights of helicopters. It was about damned time! They were headed in his direction and he waved his arms in hopes of being seen soon. The bright lights finally found him, and he used his arms to shield his eyes. "Reid! We're saved! They finally found us!" Morgan couldn't hide his excitement.

No reply came from within.

"Come on Kid, stay with us just a little longer." Morgan ran back inside, as the helicopters hovered. To his chagrin, Reid was lost to unconsciousness. Worse yet, his breathing had stopped. He checked for a pulse and didn't find one. "No! Not when we are so close. You are not dying today Spencer Reid!" He began CPR and mouth to mouth, in hopes of being able to revive Reid.

* * *

  
_Meanwhile_...

The helicopters couldn't find a clear place to land. The spot light revealed at least one body, but they were too high up to identify it and the infrared didn't pick up any heat signatures. Things were looking pretty bleak for Hotch and his team.

Back at the cabin it had taken a lot of convincing and a few withering looks, to get the rescue team to agree to let Hotch and his colleague's be attached to an experienced member who could repel out of a hovering chopper. They all had to sign affidavits saying they wouldn't sue, in the event of something happening to any of them. They all signed one without hesitation. The whole process took longer than Hotch would have liked. Time was precious and critical right now. What if JJ had been right and they were alive? If the fall didn't kill them, then hypothermia most certainly would. He sighed internally, shoving the thoughts from his mind. Things would be the way they were without his say, so there was no use in thinking about how things may or may not end up.

Hotch had never repelled out of helicopter or a building for the matter and it might have been exciting and fun if the circumstances had been drastically different. He and his repelling partner landed without incident, as did the everyone else. To save fuel, the helicopters had landed where the Agents had fallen but they stayed in contact via radio. Hotch turned on his over sized flashlight, it was basically a mini flood light. They all moved in to see who was laying lifeless in the snow. A collective sigh came from the BAU upon seeing the unsub.

The other members of the rescue team were inspecting the snow and found the drag marks and also the deep impressions in the snow. One of them walked up to Hotch, "Sir, it looks like your Agents might be alive. Or at least one of them. The impressions in the snow indicate someone walking north, and given how deep they are they are probably carrying something heavy or maybe someone."

JJ didn't bother to contain her excitement. "I knew it! I just knew they were okay."

Hotch kept his thoughts to himself and his face was its usual unreadable mask of neutrality. He moved to the footprints to take a look for himself and for the first time since watching his team mates fall he allowed a sense of hope come over him.

"What do you want to do with the other guy?" One of the members of the rescue team asked.

"Leave him," Rossi replied, with the faintest hint of venom.

"Sir?" The man turned his attention to Hotch.

"We're here for our men. If his next of kin want to remove him, that's on them." Hotch realized it sounded cold but honestly he didn't give a damn about that man. The only thing that mattered right now was Morgan and Reid.

The man looked like he wanted to argue, gnawing on his lip indecisively but he didn't protest further.

They followed the tracks, sending the choppers to scout ahead to see if there was any signs of life. The radio crackled to life as one of the pilots reported in. "We found one of them. He looks okay." Another crackle, "Damn we lost him…"

"Lost him?" Hotch asked in clear confusion.

"It looks like he went into a cave inside the mountain, Sir."

"All right. Get the baskets ready to haul us up. I see your lights in the distance we should be there soon." With the conversation over, Hotch began to chase after JJ who had started running towards the lights as soon as the call had come in.

"Reid? Morgan?" Hotch yelled out as they came within the circle of the lights. No answer unsettled him and he ran into the cave. Upon seeing Morgan performing CPR he radioed the into the pilot. "Got them both. We need an immediate evac, man down. I repeat, man down."

Hotch had to forcefully remove Morgan, so the paramedics could get in and help Reid. "Morgan, you need to let them do their job. There is nothing more you can do for Reid right now. Besides, your head is bleeding. You should get checked out."

"I'm fine. Reid's the one dying over there." Morgan waved a hand dismissively. Fear and irritation was noticeable in his voice as he watched helplessly from the sidelines.

"He's back! Barely but we got a pulse!" One of the paramedics yelled as they lifted him onto a stretcher. "We need to get him to a hospital fast though, his vitals aren't good."

"I'm going with him," Morgan said immediately.

"Sir, we won't have room for you in the chopper." One of the medics said.

"Morgan, we can follow him in the other helicopter." Hotch said.

"No! I'm not leaving him. I didn't let him die when I had a gun to my head, I didn't leave him to die when he was unconscious in the snow, and I'm not leaving him now." Morgan's voice was filled with determination and a hint of desperation.

The medic hesitated but there was no time to stand around and argue. "Okay, you can go but you'll have to be in charge of his oxygen bag in my place."

"Fine," was Morgan's tacit reply. Reid's body and a paramedic were hoisted into the chopper first. He climbed into the basket and when he got into the chopper, he squeezed the oxygen bag in one hand and held Spencer's hand in the other.

If the doctors and nurses had let him, Morgan would have gone with Reid to the intensive care unit. Instead he was left standing in the waiting room. He ended collapsing into one of the chairs. He was exhausted physically, emotionally, and mentally. It was a wonder he hadn't given out sooner. He remained conscious but he became acutely aware of just how much stress and strain his body had been through when the pain in his head throbbed unbearably and he felt as if he may break down crying any minute. _Get it_ _together man_ , he thought to himself.

"Sir, are you okay?" A nurse asked.

 _Do I look okay?_ Morgan kept the retort to himself and although he was clearly not okay he nodded his head that he was.

"Let's get you to an exam room." The nurse put a hand on his arm to help him up.

Morgan allowed the nurse to help him and he followed her silently to one of the rooms.

"Sir, can you tell me your name?"

"Derek Morgan."

"How long have you had that cut on your head?"

"Not sure." He sat down on the hospital bed.

"Have you lost consciousness?"

"Once…maybe twice."

"You have a nasty laceration on your hand, it'll probably need stitches."

"Cut with a knife," Morgan explained simply.

"Are you hurt anywhere else Mr. Morgan?"

"I don't think so."

"Okay, while I'm worried you have a mild concussion and a nasty case of frost bite so I'm going to get a doctor to come check on you immediately."

Morgan nodded and when the nurse left he laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. Sleep overtook him in a matter of seconds, the darkness taking him.


End file.
